NEW DELHI: A month after the Centre notified minimum environmental flow for the Ganga, environmentalists on Saturday said the methodology used for deciding e-flow did not follow scientific basis and claimed as many as 942 dams, barrages and weirs in the entire Ganga river basin were restricting its flow and posing a grave challenge to its rejuvenation. Uninterrupted flow of water in any river is important to keep it clean through its natural ecological functions and processes. Besides 784 dams, 66 barrages and 92 weirs, the river basin also has 45 functional lift schemes.

Making a joint presentation on the issue at an event, India River Week, river conservationists noted that the Ganga slows to a trickle just 14 km downstream from its origin and the reason for this are the dams, barrages and weirs which come in its way. Displaying recent images from the Bhagirathi valley, they flagged how the dry river beds could be visible after each of the barrages in the river basin. “The Uttarakhand government regularly asked the Centre to allow setting up of hydro-plants in Bhagirathi eco-sensitive zone. It’s a politico-bureaucrat-corporate nexus that is against Ganga,” said Shashi Shekhar, former water resources secretary. Addressing the event, organised by India Rivers Forum, he said, “We need to understand the river in its natural form and riverine ecosystem, to be able to solve these problems...We are only attacking sewage waste in the river but the solution is in improving the flow. Solution to pollution is by dilution which would come with better flow.”

The Centre had in its notification last month said that any dam or structure meant for diversion of river flow for the purpose of irrigation, hydro-power and domestic or industrial use would now have to maintain the minimum flow. It, however, said that all existing projects, which currently do not meet the norms, will have to comply with them within three years. Flagging the “three years clause”, environmentalists said the move didn’t seem to be scientific and noted how this concession would defeat the very purpose of maintaining e-flow.